Caitlin Clark Defends Fever's Kelsey Mitchell in Video After Remarks on Negative Messages From Fans

Caitlin Clark expressed her hope of continuing to team with Kelsey Mitchell and condemned the abuse directed at her fellow Indiana Fever star.

"As her teammate, that makes you upset, because you care about your teammates so much," Clark told reporters Thursday during her exit interview. "You don't want any of them to go through something like that. ... As far as people that have used me to demonstrate racist rhetoric or hate or discrimination, that's not something I stand for. It's never been something I've stood for. For those of you who know me, you know that's not what I'm about. That's not how I was raised. So that's really disappointing when people do that."

During her session with the media last week, Mitchell said that "showing up every day to compete for fans that may or may not like you is hard." She also referenced the "hate" she has received on social media:

Mitchell is an unrestricted free agent this offseason and one of the best players on the board. She'll have plenty of options if she's ready for a change of scenery after spending nine seasons in Indianapolis.

While the two will presumably have some direct conversations in the weeks ahead, Clark made a pitch of sorts to Mitchell on Thursday.

"She knows how much I love her," the three-time All-Star said. "There's nobody I'd want to share a backcourt with other than her. … I often tell her, I feel like I have the best seat in the house every single night. I get to watch you do your thing and be right next to you and be on the other side of the ball with you."

Mitchell averaged career highs in scoring (24.7 points) and shooting efficiency (50.9 percent overall and 45.0 percent on threes) in 2026. By ceding more of the playmaking burden to Clark, she has become an even better individual scorer.

As much as Mitchell is thriving in Indiana, the team suffered a first-round playoff exit for the third time in three years. The Fever clearly need to make some improvements to their roster, so nobody could blame Mitchell if she thought the grass were greener elsewhere.

The 30-year-old also alluded to the challenges that can come with the massive spotlight that surrounds Clark.

Given all of the factors at play, no team will be more fascinating to follow this offseason than Indiana. Mitchell's decision and what else the team can pull off will have major consequences moving forward.